Until September, I didn’t know who Elijah Wolf was. We had tickets to see Julian Lage on his solo tour and Elijah Wolf was the opener. He played maybe 45 minutes, and I was immediately struck by his music. Without knowing anything about the man, the sincerity in his sound activated that thing in the back of my head that said, “I should find out who this dude is.”
As we were walking out after the show, I spied the Merch table, as one does, and there was Mr. Wolf quite literally standing behind his music. I stopped to say hello and asked to by one of his records. He apologized for not having his newest record available, but said, “This is my first record. It’s a bit older but I’m still proud of the work.” As a musician myself, that stuck with me. When I listened to it the first time, I could see why.
On the Mtn Laurel Rd is a record about personal loss. Described in the note to the listener Wolf provides some insight:
Dear Listener,
Thank you for listening & being here with me. I wrote & recorded this record during a time of deep confusion & aloneness. These songs are about the death of someone so dear to me, about the moments leading up to that, & the process of saying goodbye to my childhood home. However, they’re here for you now, & can / should be whatever you want them to be about.
It is my personal belief that the best music is about something real. Having found healing in writing songs about some of my darkest in most difficult moments, the process of putting those words to music was extremely cathartic. Such is the magic of music.
On the Mtn Laurel Rd puts those feelings on display. It definitely has moments where you can tangibly feel that loss, confusion and aloneness that Wolf so aptly describes in this note. It is uniquely touching.
I’ll say it again, when your share a piece of yourself with your music, that authenticity elevates the work to “not just another record.” It becomes meaningful to other people. Perhaps to those who can’t, or won’t let themselves, create music to deal with those complex emotions. Records like this become a vehicle for healing.
It’s a gift.
Vertical Separation 